A new study in England has shown that 7 out of 10 people are consuming too much salt.The UK Department of Health has published an ‘Assessment of Dietary Sodium Levels among Adults (aged 19-64) in England, 2011’.

The survey found that the mean estimated salt intake, derived from urinary sodium excretion, for adults aged 19 to 64 years was 8.1g per day. Men had a mean estimated intake of 9.3g per day, and women had a mean estimated intake of 6.8g per day. Overall, 70% of participants had a daily intake of salt higher than the recommendation of no more than 6g per day. Between 2000/1 and 2011 there has been a statistically significant downwards trend in mean salt intake from 9.5g to 8.1g per day and also for both men and women separately.

Further information is available from the Department of Health’s website. Read safefood funded research on estimates of dietary salt intake in the Irish population.